News Dabba for 17 February 2023: Five stories for a balanced news diet

Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from Deadly avalanches in Tajikistan, Tripura recording nearly 88 percent voter turnout, to Protests in multiple Iran cities for first time in weeks.

Deadly avalanches hit Tajikistan, BBC reports

BBC reports that rescuers in Tajikistan are searching for survivors after a series of avalanches hit the mountainous eastern region, killing at least 17 people. Officials say the town of Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region, has been worst hit. Dozens of houses are buried under snow and some are completely destroyed. Most of the impoverished Central Asian nation is covered by high mountains of the Pamir range. The report adds that avalanches and rockfalls are a constant hazard. Local officials say 13 people were killed in Khorog and another four elsewhere in the region since the avalanches began earlier this week. Read the full report here.

NDTV reports Tripura records nearly 88 percent voter turnout on poll day

Nearly 88 percent of voting was recorded in the one-day Tripura assembly elections, NDTV reports. The elections were "largely peaceful",  a senior EC official said on Friday. The elections to the 60-member assembly were held across the northeastern state on Thursday. Of the total 28.14 lakh voters, over 24.66 lakhs have exercised their franchise. Tripura had, in the 2018 assembly elections, recorded 89.38 percent voting, while the highest poll percentage was 93 in 2013. Read the full report here.

Arab News on protests hitting multiple Iran cities for first time in weeks

Protesters in Iran marched through the streets of multiple cities overnight in the most widespread demonstration in weeks amid the monthslong unrest that’s gripped the Mideastern country, online videos purported to show Friday. Arab News reported that the demonstrations, marking 40 days since Iran executed two men on charges related to the protests, show the continuing anger in the country. The protests, which began over the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the country’s morality police, have since morphed into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The report said videos showed demonstrations in Iran’s capital, Tehran, as well as in the cities of Arak, Isfahan, Izeh in Khuzestan province and Karaj. Read the full report here.

Hindustan Times: Air India to require more than 6,500 pilots for 470 planes

Air India will require more than 6,500 pilots to operate 470 aircraft that are to be supplied by Airbus and Boeing in the coming years, according to industry sources. A report by Hindustan Times mentions that the airline has placed orders for acquiring a total of 840 aircraft that includes an option to buy 370 planes, seeking to expand fleet as well as operations. This is one of the largest aircraft order by any airline. Currently, Air India has around 1,600 pilots to operate its 113 aircraft fleet. Read the full report here.

Indians of any age can now register for organ transplants, The Wire

The Union health ministry has made a change in its organ donation policy to remove a clause that barred people aged above 65 years from receiving organs from dead bodies for transplants. The Wire reported that an individual of any age is now eligible for organ transplants. The relevant clause in the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) guidelines was done away with as it violated the Right to Life, The Hindu reported, quoting government sources. Organ donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, the report adds. The health ministry has also asked states to stop charging fees for organ recipient registrations. Read the full report here.